Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
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Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#2They only moved few dozen wolves, over 1000km from their homes, which is not going to have any significant consequences. Even today there's only about 100 wolves in the park?
2,200,000 acres, with 100 wolves.
Then they've made the claim that those 100 wolves in 2.2million acres has resulted in plants and fish returning? As opposed to their efforts doing nothing at all?
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#3They only moved few dozen wolves, over 1000km from their homes, which is not going to have any significant consequences. Even today there's only about 100 wolves in the park? 2,200,000 acres, with 100 wolves. Then they've made the claim that those 100 wolves in 2.2million acres has resulted in plants and fish returning? As opposed to their efforts doing nothing at all?
I'm not a biologist, but I grew up in West Yellowstone around the time wolves were reintroduced. Their return—and its impact—has been extensively studied by experts far more qualified than me.
That said, I believe wolves had a profound effect on the Yellowstone ecosystem, particularly on elk and deer populations. Before their reintroduction, those species had few natural predators beyond hunters, vehicles, bears, and the occasional mountain lion. The imbalance led to overgrazing and the spread of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in elk.
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#4They only moved few dozen wolves, over 1000km from their homes, which is not going to have any significant consequences. Even today there's only about 100 wolves in the park? 2,200,000 acres, with 100 wolves. Then they've made the claim that those 100 wolves in 2.2million acres has resulted in plants and fish returning? As opposed to their efforts doing nothing at all?
The science is pretty clear on this Im not sure what you exactly are criticizing other than you don't like the vibes or vaguely incredulous? It doesn't take many wolves to change the behavior of nearly every herbivore they prey upon. Which then changes the river bank erosion. Which causes hundreds of more species to change behavior.... Trophic Cascades are not really up for debate .
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#5It's incredible how much damage we have done to ourselves in the past 250 years, and how much effort do we now need to spend to undo that damage
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#6Yellowstone seems like one of the most resilient ecosystems we do science on, seems it can reorganize to respond to changes in species.
Can other ecosystems do this? Or is Yellowstone the only one?
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#7They only moved few dozen wolves, over 1000km from their homes, which is not going to have any significant consequences. Even today there's only about 100 wolves in the park? 2,200,000 acres, with 100 wolves. Then they've made the claim that those 100 wolves in 2.2million acres has resulted in plants and fish returning? As opposed to their efforts doing nothing at all?
“I do not like the results!” Or “The result does not make sense to me!” are not valid criticisms of science. They are arguments made from emotion. And in your case, based on your account history, it’s clearly something political for you. I would encourage you to write that kind of commentary in a more appropriate venue. Like the bathroom stall of your local truck stop. Just not here.
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#8They only moved few dozen wolves, over 1000km from their homes, which is not going to have any significant consequences. Even today there's only about 100 wolves in the park? 2,200,000 acres, with 100 wolves. Then they've made the claim that those 100 wolves in 2.2million acres has resulted in plants and fish returning? As opposed to their efforts doing nothing at all?
> Then they've made the claim that those 100 wolves in 2.2million acres has resulted in plants and fish returning? As opposed to their efforts doing nothing at all?
They've studied it and came to these conclusions, yes. Have you studied it and come to different conclusions?
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#9It's incredible how much damage we have done to ourselves in the past 250 years, and how much effort do we now need to spend to undo that damage
It's incredible how much good we have done to ourselves in the past 250 years, and how much good we can do in the now and the future.
Re: Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees
#10How does returning wolves to ecosystem effect the mountain lion population? Can we balance things out or are we shuffling problems around?